IELTS Writing — Crash Course
Task 1 charts & Task 2 essays — mastered in one session
Task 1 asks you to describe a visual (graph, chart, table, map, or process). Never give opinions. Always start with an overview of the most significant trend.
📈 Line Graph — Essential Verbs
rose / increased / grew— upward movementfell / declined / dropped / decreased— downward movementpeaked / reached a high of— highest pointbottomed out / hit a low of— lowest pointplateaued / levelled off / remained stable— no changefluctuated / varied— irregular ups and downsrecovered / rebounded— rose after a fall📊 Bar Chart — Comparison Language
significantly higher / lower than— large gaproughly double / triple— ratio comparisonsthe highest / lowest figure was recorded in— extremesclosely followed by— rank orderingin contrast / by comparison— comparing barsaccounted for approximately— share of total🥧 Pie Chart — Proportion Language
accounted for / made up / comprised— share of wholethe largest / smallest share / proportion— size comparisonalmost half / roughly a quarter / just over a third— fraction phrasescombined, X and Y totalled— adding slicesthe dominant category— biggest slice📋 Table — Data Reference Language
the figure for X stood at / was recorded at— citing a numberX showed the most variation— most change in a columnrelatively consistent / unchanged— stable rowsthe most striking figure was— drawing attention🗺️ Map — Location & Change Language
was located / was situated / stood— describing positionwas replaced by / gave way to— something removed and replacedwas extended / was expanded / was added— growthwas demolished / was removed— something taken awayto the north / south / east / west of— directionin the centre / on the outskirts— position⚙️ Process Diagram — Sequence Language
first / initially / to begin with— start of processsubsequently / next / following this— continuingfinally / ultimately / at the final stage— end of processis fed into / passes through / is converted into— passive verbs for stepsinvolves / consists of / requires— describing stagesOverall, [subject] [showed/experienced] [an upward/downward/fluctuating] trend over the period, with [key feature], while [contrasting feature].
“Overall, the number of internet users showed a dramatic upward trend over the period, with figures in all three countries rising sharply, while growth rates differed considerably.”
In [start year], [subject] stood at [figure]. It [rose/fell] [adverb] to [figure] by [year], before [levelling off/declining] to reach [figure] at the end of the period.
“In 2000, the number of cars sold stood at 5 million. It rose steadily to 8 million by 2005, before levelling off to reach 7.5 million at the end of the period.”
[Subject A] accounted for the largest share at [figure], [significantly/marginally] more than [Subject B], which stood at [figure]. In contrast, [Subject C] recorded the lowest figure of [figure].
“Petrol accounted for the largest share at 42%, significantly more than diesel, which stood at 28%. In contrast, electric vehicles recorded the lowest figure of just 6%.”
The most significant change was the [addition/removal/expansion] of [feature] [location]. By [year], [old feature] had been replaced by [new feature], while [other feature] remained unchanged.
“The most significant change was the addition of a shopping centre to the north of the town. By 2020, the farmland had been replaced by a car park, while the school in the east remained unchanged.”
Initially, [raw material/input] [is fed into / enters] [stage 1]. Following this, [it/the material] [is processed/treated/converted] by [stage 2], before [passing to / reaching] [final stage].
“Initially, raw wool is fed into a washing machine to remove impurities. Following this, it is dried in a heated chamber, before passing through rollers that flatten the fibres.”
⏰ Tense Guide — How to Handle Time in Task 1
| Data Type | When to use | Structures to use | Quick Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past data (years gone) | All figures are from past years | Past simple: rose, fell, reached | Sales fell to 200 units in 2010. |
| Present snapshot | Chart shows 'current' situation | Simple present: stands, accounts for, comprises | The largest share currently stands at 45%. |
| Future / projected | Graph shows forecast data | will + verb / is projected to / is expected to | Figures are projected to rise by 2030. |
| Mixed (past + projected) | Chart spans past & future years | Past simple for history, will/is projected for future | Sales rose sharply until 2020 and are expected to continue growing. |
| Timeless (process/map) | No specific time reference | Simple present passive: is fed, is processed | The water is filtered through a series of membranes. |